Chronological
The Pot and the Meat
24 The word of the Lord came to me. This was on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of exile.[a] He said, 2 “Son of man,[b] write today’s date and this note: ‘On this date the army of the king of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem.’ 3 The people there refuse to obey me. I have a story with a message for them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:
“‘Put the pot on the fire.
Put on the pot and pour in the water.
4 Put in the pieces of meat.
Put in every good piece, the thighs and the shoulders.
Fill the pot with the best bones.
5 Use the best animals in the flock.
Pile the wood under the pot,
and boil the pieces of meat.
Boil the soup until even the bones are cooked.
6 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for Jerusalem.
It will be bad for that city of murderers.
Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it,
and those spots of rust cannot be removed!
That pot is not clean, and the rust cannot be removed,
so the meat must be thrown out and not divided among the priests.
7 Jerusalem is like a pot with rust on it.
This is because the blood from the murders is still there!
She put the blood on the bare rock.
She did not pour the blood on the ground and cover it with dirt.[c]
8 I put her blood on the bare rock
so that it would not be covered.
I did this so that people would become angry
and punish her for killing innocent people.
9 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:
It will be bad for that city of murderers!
I will pile up plenty of wood for the fire.
10 Put plenty of wood under the pot.
Light the fire.
Cook the meat until it is well done.
Mix in the spices,[d]
and let the bones be burned up.
11 Then let the pot stand empty on the coals.
Let it become so hot that its stains[e] begin to glow.
Those stains will be melted away.
The rust will be destroyed.
12 “‘Jerusalem might work hard
to scrub away her stains.
But that ‘rust’ will not go away!
Only the fire of punishment will remove it.
13 “‘You sinned against me
and became stained with sin.
I wanted to wash you and make you clean,
but the stains would not come out.
I will not try washing you again
until my hot anger is finished with you!
14 “‘I am the Lord. I said your punishment would come, and I will make it happen. I will not hold back the punishment or feel sorry for you. I will punish you for the evil things you did. This is what the Lord God said.’”
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 16 “Son of man, you love your wife very much, but I am going to take her away from you. Your wife will die suddenly, but you must not show your sadness. You must not cry loudly. You will cry and your tears will fall, 17 but you must mourn quietly. Dress as you normally do; wear your turban and sandals; don’t cover your mustache, and don’t eat the food people normally eat when someone dies.”
18 The next morning I told the people what God had said. That evening, my wife died. The next morning I did what God commanded. 19 Then the people said to me, “Why are you doing this? What does it mean?”
20 Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me. He told me 21 to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord God said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle. 22 But you will do the same things that I have done about my dead wife. You will not cover your mustache or eat the food people normally eat when someone dies. 23 You will wear your turbans and your sandals. You will not show your sadness publicly or cry publicly, but you will waste away with guilt and talk to each other quietly about your grief. 24 So Ezekiel is an example for you. You will do all the same things he did. That time of punishment will come, and then you will know that I am the Lord God.’”
25-26 The Lord said, “Son of man, I will take away the place that makes the people feel safe—Jerusalem, that beautiful city that makes them so happy. They really love that place. They love to look at it. But I will take it away from them, and I will also take their children. On that day one of the survivors will come to you with the bad news about Jerusalem. 27 That same day you will be able to talk to the messenger. You will not be silent anymore. This will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Prophecy Against Ammon
25 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[f] look toward the people of Ammon and speak against them for me. 3 Say to them: ‘Listen to the word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says: You were happy when my holy place was destroyed. You were against the land of Israel when it was polluted. You were against the family of Judah when the people were carried away as prisoners. 4 So I will give you to the people from the east. They will get your land. Their armies will set up their camps in your country and will live among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.
5 “‘I will make the city Rabbah a pasture for camels and the country of Ammon a sheep pen. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 6 This is what the Lord God says: You were happy that Jerusalem was destroyed. You clapped your hands and stamped your feet. You had fun insulting the land of Israel, 7 so I will punish you. You will be like the valuable things soldiers take in war. You will lose your inheritance and die in faraway lands. I will destroy your country! Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Prophecy Against Moab and Seir
8 This is what the Lord God says: “Moab and Seir[g] say, ‘The family of Judah is just like any other nation.’ 9 I will cut into Moab’s shoulder—I will take away the cities that are on its borders—the glory of the land, Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim. 10 Then I will give these cities to the people of the east. They will get your land. I will also let those people from the east destroy the Ammonites, and people will forget they were ever a nation. 11 So I will punish Moab, and then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Prophecy Against Edom
12 This is what the Lord God says: “The people of Edom turned against the family of Judah and tried to get even. The people of Edom are guilty.” 13 So the Lord God says: “I will punish Edom. I will destroy the people and the animals in Edom. I will destroy the whole country of Edom, all the way from Teman to Dedan. The Edomites will be killed in battle. 14 I will use my people Israel and get even against Edom. In this way the people of Israel will show my anger against Edom. Then the people of Edom will know that I punished them.” This is what the Lord God said.
Prophecy Against the Philistines
15 This is what the Lord God says: “The Philistines tried to get even. They were very cruel. They let their anger burn inside them too long.” 16 So the Lord God said, “I will punish the Philistines. Yes, I will destroy those people from Crete. I will completely destroy those people who live on the seacoast. 17 I will punish them—I will get even. I will let my anger teach them a lesson. Then they will know that I am the Lord!”
The Sad Message About Tyre
26 In the eleventh year of exile,[h] on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[i] Tyre said bad things about Jerusalem: ‘Hurray! The city gate protecting the people is destroyed! The city gate is open for me. The city of Jerusalem is ruined, so I can get plenty of valuable things out of it!’”
3 So the Lord God says: “I am against you, Tyre! I will bring many nations to fight against you. They will come again and again, like waves on the beach.
4 “The enemy soldiers will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will also scrape the topsoil from her land. I will make Tyre a bare rock. 5 Tyre will become a place by the sea for spreading fishing nets. I have spoken!” The Lord God says, “Tyre will be like the valuable things soldiers take in war. 6 Her daughters on the mainland will be killed in battle. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
Nebuchadnezzar Will Attack Tyre
7 This is what the Lord God says: “I will bring an enemy from the north against Tyre. That enemy is Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon! He will bring a very large army. There will be horses, chariots, horse soldiers and many other soldiers. They will be from many different nations. 8 Nebuchadnezzar will kill your daughters on the mainland. He will build towers to attack your city. He will build a dirt road around your city and a dirt road leading up to the walls. 9 He will bring the logs to break down your walls. He will use picks and break down your towers. 10 There will be so many of his horses that the dust from them will cover you. Your walls will shake at the noise of horse soldiers, wagons, and chariots when the king of Babylon enters the city through your city gates. Yes, they will come into your city because its walls will be pulled down. 11 The king of Babylon will come riding through your city. His horses’ hoofs[j] will come pounding over your streets. He will kill your people with swords. The strong columns in your city will fall to the ground. 12 Nebuchadnezzar’s men will take away your riches. They will take the things you wanted to sell. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. They will throw the wood and stones into the sea like garbage. 13 So I will stop the sound of your happy songs. People will not hear your harps anymore. 14 I will make you a bare rock. You will be a place by the sea for spreading fishing nets! You will not be rebuilt, because I, the Lord, have spoken!” This is what the Lord God said.
Other Nations Will Cry for Tyre
15 This is what the Lord God says to Tyre: “The countries along the Mediterranean coast will shake at the sound of your fall. That will happen when your people are hurt and killed. 16 Then all the leaders of the countries by the sea will step down from their thrones and show their sadness. They will take off their special robes and their beautiful clothes. Then they will put on their ‘clothes of shaking.’ They will sit on the ground and shake with fear. They will be shocked at how quickly you were destroyed. 17 They will sing this sad song about you:
“‘Tyre, you were a famous city.[k]
People came from across the sea to live in you.[l]
You were famous,
but now you are gone!
You were strong on the sea,
and so were the people who lived in you.
You made all who live on the mainland
afraid of you.
18 Now, on the day you fall,
the countries along the coast will shake with fear.
You started many colonies along the coast.
Now those people will be afraid when you are gone!’”
19 This is what the Lord God says: “Tyre, you will become an old, empty city. No one will live there. I will cause the sea to flow over you. The great sea will cover you. 20 I will send you down into that deep hole—to the place of death. You will join those who died long ago. I will send you to the world below, like all the other old, empty cities. You will be with all the others who go down to the grave. No one will live in you then. You will never again be in the land of the living! 21 Other people will be afraid about what happened to you. You will be finished. People will look for you, but they will never find you again.” That is what the Lord God says.
Tyre, the Door to the Seas
27 The word of the Lord came to me again. He said, 2 “Son of man,[m] sing this sad song about Tyre. 3 Say this about Tyre: ‘Tyre, you are the door to the seas. You are the merchant for many nations. You travel to many countries along the coast. This is what the Lord God says:
“Tyre, you think that you are so beautiful.
You think you are perfectly beautiful!
4 The Mediterranean Sea is the border around your city.
Your builders made you perfectly beautiful,
like the ships that sail from you.
5 Your builders used cypress trees
from the mountains of Senir to make your planks.
They used cedar trees from Lebanon
to make your mast.
6 They used oak trees from Bashan
to make your oars.
They used pine trees from Cyprus
to make the cabin on your deck.[n]
They decorated that shelter with ivory.
7 For your sail, they used colorful linen made in Egypt.
That sail was your flag.
The coverings over your cabin were blue and purple.
They came from the coast of Cyprus.[o]
8 Men from Sidon and Arvad rowed your boats for you.
Tyre, your wise men were the pilots on your ships.
9 The elders and wise men from Byblos[p]
were on board to help put caulking[q] between the boards on your ship.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came to trade and do business with you.
10 “‘Men from Persia, Lud, and Put were in your army. They were your men of war who hung their shields and helmets on your walls. They brought honor and glory to your city. 11 Men from Arvad and Cilicia were guards standing on the wall around your city. Men from Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields on the walls around your city and made your beauty complete.
12 “‘Tarshish was one of your best customers. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for all the wonderful things you sold. 13 People in Greece, Turkey, and the area around the Black Sea traded with you. They traded slaves and bronze for the things you sold. 14 People from the nation[r] of Togarmah traded horses, war horses, and mules for the things you sold. 15 The people of Rhodes[s] traded with you. You sold your things in many places. People brought ivory tusks and ebony wood to pay you. 16 Aram traded with you because you had so many good things. They traded emeralds, purple cloth, fine needlework, fine linen, coral, and rubies for the things you sold.
17 “‘The people in Judah and Israel traded with you. They paid for the things you sold with the wheat, olives, early figs, honey, oil, and balm.[t] 18 Damascus was a good customer. They traded with you for the many wonderful things you had. They traded wine from Helbon and white wool for those things. 19 Damascus traded wine from Uzal for the things you sold. They paid with wrought iron, cassia, and sugar cane. 20 Dedan provided good business and traded with you for saddle blankets and riding horses. 21 Arabia and all the leaders of Kedar traded lambs, rams, and goats for your goods. 22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you. They traded all the best spices and every kind of precious stone and gold for your goods. 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad traded with you. 24 They paid with the finest clothing, blue cloth, cloth with fine needlework, rugs of many colors, and the strongest ropes. These were the things they traded with you. 25 The ships from Tarshish carried the things you sold.
“‘Tyre, you are like one of those cargo ships.
You are on the sea, loaded with many riches.
26 Your oarsmen rowed you far out to sea.
But a powerful east wind will destroy your ship at sea.
27 All your wealth will spill into the sea.
Your wealth—the things you buy and sell—will spill into the sea.
Your whole crew—sailors, pilots, and the men who put caulking between the boards on your ship—
will spill into the sea.
The merchants and soldiers in your city
will all sink into the sea.
That will happen on the day
that you are destroyed!
28 “‘You send your merchants to faraway places.
Those places will shake with fear when they hear your pilots’ cry!
29 Your whole crew will jump ship.
The sailors and pilots will jump ship and swim to the shore.
30 They will be very sad about you.
They will cry, throw dust on their heads, and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads for you.
They will put on sackcloth.
They will cry for you like someone crying for someone who died.
32 “‘And in their loud crying they will sing this sad song about you:
“‘No one is like Tyre!
Tyre is destroyed, in the middle of the sea!
33 Your merchants sailed across the seas.
You satisfied many people with your great wealth and the things you sold.
You made the kings of the earth rich!
34 But now you are broken by the seas
and by the deep waters.
All the things you sell
and all your people have fallen.
35 All the people living on the coast
are shocked about you.
Their kings are terrified.
Their faces show their shock.
36 The merchants in other nations whistle about you.
What happened to you will frighten people,
because you were destroyed.
You are gone forever.’”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International